Sudan is facing a devastating cholera outbreak that has claimed the lives of nearly two dozen people and infected hundreds in recent weeks, according to health officials. The outbreak comes as the country grapples with a 16-month conflict and widespread flooding.
Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim confirmed that 22 people have died from cholera, with at least 354 confirmed cases reported across the country. The exact timeline for these deaths was not provided. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that as of July 28, 78 cholera-related deaths had occurred this year, with over 2,400 people falling ill between January and July.
Cholera is a highly contagious infection that causes severe diarrhea, leading to dangerous dehydration and potential death if untreated. The disease is commonly spread through contaminated food or water, according to the WHO.
This cholera outbreak adds to the mounting hardships in Sudan, which descended into chaos in April 2022 after escalating tensions between the military and the powerful paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), erupted into widespread conflict. The fighting has ravaged the capital, Khartoum, and other major cities, severely damaging civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and clinics. Many medical facilities have been forced to shut down due to lack of resources.
The conflict has killed thousands, left millions starving, and triggered what the International Organization for Migration (IOM) describes as the world’s largest displacement crisis. Over 10.7 million people have fled their homes, with 2 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries. The humanitarian situation is worsening, with famine already declared in parts of Darfur.
To make matters worse, seasonal floods have compounded Sudan’s suffering in recent weeks. Local authorities report that dozens of people have died, and key infrastructure has been destroyed in 12 of the country’s 18 provinces. The floods have displaced approximately 118,000 people, further straining the country’s capacity to respond to multiple crises.
Cholera outbreaks are not uncommon in Sudan. A major outbreak in 2017 left at least 700 dead and infected around 22,000 people within two months. The current outbreak began in the eastern province of Kassala and has spread to nine localities across five provinces, according to WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević. He added that many of those infected had not been vaccinated, prompting WHO and local health authorities to launch a vaccination campaign.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s military-controlled sovereign council announced that it would send a delegation to Cairo to meet with U.S. officials. The talks come amid mounting pressure from the U.S. for the military to engage in peace negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. The meeting will focus on enforcing a previous agreement requiring the RSF to withdraw from civilian homes in Khartoum and other areas.
Peace talks, which began on August 14 in Switzerland, have involved diplomats from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union, and the United Nations. However, while the RSF sent a delegation to Geneva, they have not yet participated in the negotiations.
